Obviously there’s benefit for any access that the IAEA can get, but it doesn’t change the fact that we would consider a satellite launch a violation not only of their UN obligations but of the commitments they made to us.U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland • Confirming that, while the United States approves of North Korea’s decision to allow independent nuclear monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency into the country, the government does not condone North Korea’s ambitions for space. The country announced plans to send a satellite into orbit on a rocket earlier Friday morning, with a planned launch window of April 12-16th, while apparently also extending the return invitations to the IAEA. source (via • follow)
In another sign of warming relations between two wartime foes, a senior North Korean nuclear negotiator will attend a security conference in the United States, a person with knowledge of the negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Word of Ri Yong Ho’s visit to the forum at Syracuse University, where he may also meet on the sidelines with U.S. officials, comes on the heels of a breakthrough agreement that will provide much-needed U.S. food aid to North Korea in exchange for a rollback of its nuclear programs.
The agreement announced Wednesday sets in motion a plan laid out by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il before his death in December: to improve relations with the U.S. and to get back to six-nation disarmament-for-aid negotiations. Significant challenges remain, however, in achieving the long-term goal of the U.S. and other nations: to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear ambitions altogether.
Next thing you know, we’re gonna invite these guys to a slumber party or something and watch episodes of “Beavis & Butthead” or “Team America: World Police.” OK, maybe not that second movie …
» Significant, if “limited”: This result came after a set of talks last week that initially did not seem to go well, but later proved be palatable for the North Koreans. The two countries previously were close to some sort of deal before Kim Jong-il’s death, but the latest development seems to have gone over. “The United States still has profound concerns regarding North Korean behavior across a wide range of areas,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, ”but today’s announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing some of these.”
Next week’s cover features North Korea’s newest leader Kim Jong Un and hits newsstands Friday. Inside the issue we’ve got a great feature on NBA star Jeremy Lin, a look at the unexpected success of Rick Santorum and an appreciation of Whitney Houston.
Unless Kim Jong Un wore this getup (SFW, kinda) at the MTV VMAs, you can’t call him Lil’ Kim. EDIT: What could’ve been.
![theatlantic:
In Focus: Kim Jong Un Looking at Things
Like father, like son. Since the recent death of Kim Jong Il, North Korean state-run media has been releasing a series of images of the “Great Successor,” Kim Jong Un, visiting schools, factories, and military facilities. These visits, which were frequently publicized by his father and his grandfather Kim Il Sung, are called “field guidance” trips — opportunities for the supreme leader to give on-the-spot advice. Based on the state-released photos in this collection, he is following closely in his father’s footsteps, albeit with a touch more visible affection. See more.
[Image: Reuters/KCNA]
Like his father, Kim Jong-Un never learned that it’s not nice to stare.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyq8cpjqGr1qcokc4o1_500.jpg)
In Focus: Kim Jong Un Looking at Things
Like father, like son. Since the recent death of Kim Jong Il, North Korean state-run media has been releasing a series of images of the “Great Successor,” Kim Jong Un, visiting schools, factories, and military facilities. These visits, which were frequently publicized by his father and his grandfather Kim Il Sung, are called “field guidance” trips — opportunities for the supreme leader to give on-the-spot advice. Based on the state-released photos in this collection, he is following closely in his father’s footsteps, albeit with a touch more visible affection. See more.
[Image: Reuters/KCNA]
Like his father, Kim Jong-Un never learned that it’s not nice to stare.
I expect the existing ruling elite to follow in the footsteps of my father while keeping the young successor as a symbolic figure. It is difficult to accept a third-generation succession under a normal reasoning.Kim Jong Nam, eldest son of Kim Jong-Il • Remarks made in an email to the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, on the subject of his young brother Kim Jong-Un’s ascendancy to power in North Korea. It’s worth noting a couple things in his analysis — for one, he was shirked in the Kim line of succession for, of all things, traveling to Japan on a fake passport in an effort to visit Disneyland. As a result, he no longer lives in North Korea, which means he probably can’t be as informed as he once was; North Korea is one of the most opaque nations on earth. However, when a family this bizarre, powerful, and hugely important gets to feuding, it merits attention. source (via • follow)
Happy birthday, Kim Jong-Un! The new North Korean leader’s birthday, his first as Supreme Leader of North Korea, was celebrated by the country’s propaganda machine thanks to a documentary that aired on state television. The video reveals him riding a horse, hanging at an amusement park, and … most importantly, suggesting way back in 2009 that he’d be willing to wage war with South Korea and the U.S. if they shot down a North Korean rocket. In other words, bro knows a thing or two about threats.
North Korea is entering a new era of leadership by “solemnly and confidently” declaring that rival South Korea and other nations shouldn’t expect any change.
North Korea has ended 11 days of official mourning for leader Kim Jong Il. His son Kim Jong Un has been declared supreme leader of the ruling party and military.
Pyongyang’s National Defense Commission said in a statement Friday that the North will never deal with the “traitor group” led South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. It says the North will unite around leader Kim Jong Un.
Disappointing considering the significant problems the region has both diplomatically and domestically, but totally expected, in the end.
Last night was just strange: Euronews’ “No Comment” YouTube channel did us a favor and edited down this meandering feed, where (in one scene) the camera focused on a building for ten minutes, down to two minutes that really give you the gist. We’ll choose not to debate on whether the tears were real. Instead, let’s discuss what this shows about North Korean culture. The Telegraph argues that it shows that North Korea is really a monarchy or royal dynasty, despite its reputation as a communist nation — and that Kim Jong-Un is without a doubt the country’s leader. And the Christian Science Monitor disputes (in a slideshow) that the country is really as isolated as the West has come to believe. And MSNBC parses the funeral through the eyes of South Korea — and what they find is a giant bout of disinterest. What did you get out of this? source
Officially the weirdest, saddest thing we’ve ever liveblogged. Good luck to Kim Jong-Un as he tries to set his own path in North Korea.
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Seeing this white snow fall has made me think of the general’s efforts and this brings tears to my eyes.Female soldier Seo Ju-rim, talking about Kim Jong-Il during Wednesday’s funeral procession. A myth around Kim has been his ability to control the weather, so some North Koreans believe that the snow and unusually cold weather is his doing.
The guy next to the flag on the hearse? Kim Jong-Un. Standing with his dad.
OK, we lied. Still posting. Looks like the crying’s over, and the actual funeral itself is about to begin. The procession has moved away from the streets.
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